First They Came for.......

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—    
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

A Shoulder to Cry On

My mother used to ask me what the most important part of the body is.
Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct Answer.

When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans,so I said, "My ears, Mommy."

She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."

Several years passed before she asked me again.
Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer.

So this time I told her,
"Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."

She looked at me and told me,
"You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years,
Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was,
"No. But you are getting smarter every year, my child."

Then one year, my father died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying.

My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to my father.
She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"

I was shocked when she asked me this now.
I always thought this was a game between her and me.
She saw the confusion on my face and told me,
"This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life.
For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you were wrong and
I have given you an example why.

But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."

She looked down at me and threw her head to my shoulder and hugged me.  I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said,
"My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."

I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"

She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry. 

Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. 

I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on 

when you need it."

Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one.
It is made for others and not for yourself. It is sympathetic to the pain of others.

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did.
But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.

I Have No Enemies

I have no enemies, and no hatred. None of the police who have monitored, arrested and interrogated me, the prosecutors who prosecuted me, or the judges who sentence me, are my enemies. While I’m unable to accept your surveillance, arrest, prosecution or sentencing, I respect your professions and personalities, including Zhang Rongge and Pan Xueqing who act for the prosecution at present. I was aware of your respect and sincerity in your interrogation of me on December 3.  

For hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit, instigate brutal life and death struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy. I hope therefore to be able to transcend my personal vicissitudes in understanding the development of the state and changes in society, to counter the hostility of the regime with the best of intentions, and defuse hate with love....
I do not feel guilty for following my constitutional right to freedom of expression, for fulfilling my social responsibility as a Chinese citizen. Even if accused of it, I would have no complaints.

  — Liu Xiaobo, 23 December 2009

Apple Polishing

A Rabbi was adored by the community, except for Issac , who never missed out any chance to point out faults in his teachings. Others too were annoyed by Issac. One day, Issac died. During the funeral, the community noticed that the Rabbi was deeply upset.
"Why are you so sad?" someone commented, "he was always criticizing everything you said."  

The Rabbi said, " I'm not upset about my friend who is now in heaven. I am upset for my own self. While everyone revered me, he challenged me, and I was obliged to improve. Now he is gone, and I'm afraid I shall stop growing."

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns
And many a failure comes about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

MARIA'S NEW HAT!!!👒

Maria lived with her mother in a small apartment in NYC. 

She wasn't too young or too old.. not too short or too tall.. 

not particularly beautiful nor ugly.. She was just an average woman. 

She worked as a secretary at a large company
and her life was pretty much boring and mundane. 

No one at work paid any attention to her...

Those that did considered her to be as boring as her life was. 

One morning, on her way to work,
Maria saw a new hat shop that opened down the street. 

In a spur of curiosity she walked in!

In the shop was a little girl and her mother, 

who came to pick the girl a hat,  and another customer who was trying on hats...

Maria also tried on a few hats, until she found one she liked. She put it on and It looked nice!

First to notice was the little girl : "Mommy, look how pretty that woman looks with the hat on!"

The mother said: "Ma'am, I must say, this hat just looks wonderful on you!"

The second buyer also came to look : "Ma'am, you look lovely with that hat on!"

Maria went to the mirror..She looked at herself..    

And for the first time in her adult life.. She liked what she saw. 

Smiling, she went to the counter and bought the hat. 

As she walked outside a new world revealed itself to her. 

She never before noticed the colors of the flowers..or the scent of the fresh air..

The sound of the cars and the people.. sounded like an harmonious melody..

She walked as if drifting on a cloud..with a song in her heart..

When she passed by the coffee shop she walked by every morning, one of the young handsome man called out to her:   "Hey darling..looking good!  Are you new here?  Can I buy you a cup of coffee? "

She smiled shyly and kept walking..  Floating on her cloud...

When she got to the office building, the doorman opened the door and wished her Good Morning..

Never before had he even noticed her!

The people in the elevator asked her the floor she needed and pressed the button for her.

The people at the office, as if seeing her for the first time, flattered her on how lovely she looked today. 

The manager asked her out to lunch to talk about how she felt at work!

When this magical workday was over she decided to take a cab home instead of the bus.

As soon as she put her hand up 2 taxis stopped! She took the first one and sat in the back seat..

Thinking about the miraculous day she had and how her life changed!! Thanks to the new hat!

When she got home, her mom opened the door. The sight of Maria took her breath away!

"Maria" she said surprised "How beautiful you look! Your eyes are all lit up like when you were a little girl! "

"Yes, mother" Said Maria  "It's all thanks to my new hat, I had the most marvelous day!"

"Maria" said her mother "What hat??"

*Maria panicked.*

She touched her head and saw that the hat that changed her life was not there... 
She didn't remember taking it off in the cab.. Or at lunch.. Or at the office..

She thought back to the store where she had bought it..

How she noticed it for the first time.. She put it on.. Paying for it at the cashier's...

And she remembered painfully now.. How she put it on the counter..

To get her purse out to pay.. And how she forgot the hat right there.. On the counter...

Then she walked out to the street.. Hat-less yet glowing!

It wasn't the hat that freed Maria, it was the quality of her thoughts!

Our thoughts can enslave us into a horrible bondage or liberate us towards sweet freedom:
to be, do, or have anything we wish for!!!

An amazing prayer that cannot be more precise..

Lord, You know that I am growing older.

Keep me from becoming talkative and
possessed with the idea that I must express myself on every subject.

Release me from the craving to straighten out everyone's affairs.

Keep me from the recital of endless detail.

Give me wings to get to the point.

Seal my lips when I am inclined to tell of my aches and pains.  

They are increasing with the years and
my love to speak of them grows sweeter as time goes by.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally, I may be wrong.

Make me thoughtful but not nosy; helpful but not bossy.

With my vast store of wisdom and experience,
it does seem a pity not to use it all. But You know, Lord ––

I want a few friends at the end!